NSF Mentoring Requirements for New Proposals

The National Science Foundation has introduced new guidelines to the Recipient Standards of the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). These new requirements apply to NSF proposals submitted on or after May 20, 2024:

Chapter II.D.2.i(I), Mentoring Plan, has been expanded to address the revision to Section 7008(a) of the America COMPETES Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. § 1862o(a)) requiring a mentoring plan for postdoctoral researchers or graduate students supported on the project. This page limitation for the Mentoring Plan remains one page.

For guidance on developing your mentoring plan, please refer to the UCLA Mentoring Plan Template.

Chapter VII.B.7, Individual Development Plans for Postdoctoral Scholars or Graduate Students, implements Section 10313 (42 U.S.C. § 18993) of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 requirement for postdoctoral scholars or graduate students who receive substantial NSF support must have an Individual Development Plan which is required to be updated annually.

The Division of Graduate Education provides a Faculty Mentor Training workshop series which includes guidance on ways to improve mentoring skills and how to effectively collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplinary areas. The training series also provides information on effective communication with mentees, the usage of mentoring compacts, and personal and professional development for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

We also provide one-on-one mentoring consultation appointments and offer a Resource Library through our website which researchers can utilize to further explore mentoring principles and best practices. Please Contact Jenny Lee, Director of Mentoring Initiatives, to set up an appointment.